This invention relates generally to valves and more particularly to an inline stopcock having a glass body and a polymeric valve head.
Stopcocks may be used to control the flow of dangerous and toxic liquids. The glass bodies of stopcocks and other valves now in use require the male and female sealing surfaces to be ground and polished in order to produce a satisfactory seal. These grinding operations require a skilled machine operator and a great deal of time.
To serve as a stopcock replacement, a valve must have its inlet and outlet ports inline, that is, extending along a common axis, and the rotational movement required to move the valve head from its fully open position to a fully closed position must be small.
It is an object of this invention to produce an inline valve in which the sealing surfaces do not require precision grinding to effect a satisfactory seal. Another object is to produce a superior valve to replace a stopcock, but not limited to that use.